The Mediterranean Institute for Gender Studies has urged Cyprus and European policymakers to reconsider current approaches to low fertility, labeling it a structural issue rather than solely a women's problem. The Institute warns that subsidy-driven policies risk undermining women's rights by commodifying female fertility without addressing root causes.

Highlighting challenges such as salary penalties for motherhood, career stagnation, and inadequate parental leave, the Institute described the Cypriot labor market as rigid and often unfriendly to mothers. It emphasized that low fertility stems from broader structural factors including economic insecurity, high housing costs, and social uncertainties rather than simply financial incentives.

The Institute called for comprehensive reforms such as universal free pre-school care, accessible housing strategies, extended non-transferable parental leave, and improved care infrastructure. It stressed the importance of respecting bodily autonomy and full gender equality, warning that populist subsidy measures aimed at boosting birth rates may backfire by reversing progress in women's rights.